This blog is about a lot of things, all of which are linked by one common factor: me. I love music, dancing, coffee and, above all, learning (about things and people). People have described me as pretty and random (or maybe just pretty random). Be nice.

Sunday, December 12, 2004

I had an absolutely fantastic weekend... and best of all, I wasn't expecting to, which made it so much better. I spent most of Friday doing nothing much other than helping my mother compile her students' exam results (cue evil laughter). At night, I trotted over to my friend's house where we watched Before Sunrise and drank some absolutely divine wine from the Philippines (of all places).

Having heard so much about Before Sunrise, I knew instinctively that this would be the kind of movie I'd fall in love with. And seeing as I've been dying to watch it for months so, I was trying my best to keep my expectations lowered so as not to be disappointed in case I was wrong. Thankfully, I wasn't wrong, and the movie turned out to be as good, if not better than what I thought it would turn out to be.

In a nutshell, the show's about two travellers who meet on a train passing through Vienna. Celine (Julie Delpy) is a French 23-year-old lady on her way back to Paris from Budapest, while Jesse (Ethan Hawke) is an American college student going to Vienna to catch an Austrian Airlines flight back to the US after having spent the last few weeks travelling through Europe on a Eurail pass. On the train, they begin talking to each other and discover that they really enjoy each other's conversation. At Vienna, Jesse convinces Celine to get off the train with him and just walk through the city before he has to fly off in the morning. The film charts their exploration of Vienna and of each other.

The show was absolutely brilliant. I loved Celine's character from the beginning; she's philosophical and confused about life, parental expectations, feminism... things that I really identify with. Jesse, on the other hand, struck me as being full of himself initially, but as the show goes on, we get to see how great the connection between Jesse and Celine is, and why each of them falls for the other.

The actors, Hawke and Delpy, do a terrific job interacting with each other so incredibly naturally. You can see this most strongly in the scene when they're in a tram asking each other questions. Just watch how Hawke does the typical male casual-sliding-of-arm -around-her-shoulders and in another cute scene, attempt to brush her hair from her face but pulls his hand back as she turns. My favourite scene out of the entire movie would have to when the two are in a record booth listening to Kate Bloom - Come Here. No words are spoken, but the way they look at each other when the other isn't looking... the tension is palpable and the acting sublime. What I would give to experience such a moment in my life.

As an avid backpacker, the idea of meeting a stranger who turns into a friend, a soulmate, a lover, is one that I vividly cherish. I'm far too practical a person for it to ever happen, but I fully admit that even though I'm 24 years old, I'm still clinging to the dream that one day, it might happen to me. If you, like I, love Europe, travelling or just the idea of meeting that special someone, whether it lasts, this movie is for you.

Come HereKate Bloom

There's a wind that blows in from the north,
And it says that loving takes it's course.
Come here. Come here.

No I'm not impossible to touch,
I have never wanted you so much.
Come here. Come here.

Have I never lay down by your side?
Baby, let's forget about this pride.
Come here. Come here.

Well, I'm in no hurry.
You don't have to run away this time.
I know that you're timid,
But it's gonna be all right this time.

There's a wind that blows in from the north,
And it says that loving takes its course.
Come here. Come here.

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About Me

I'm a city girl (not a City girl). I grew up in a bustling city and now work and live in London. My favourite places include Buenos Aires, New York City and Cape Town. I simply love cities, although I'm now learning the simple joy of smaller, more relaxing places, following recent trips to South Africa and Santa Barbara.

I was unemployed for the first half of 2012. During that time, I chose to spend my break from work, as it were, learning Pilates and yoga and enjoying the little pleasures in life. You can find out more by reading The Accidental Guide to Enjoying Life While Unemployed, a little series I penned during that period.

I'm also trying totake advantage of the abundance of free online educational resources whenever working and enjoying life don't get in the way. More information on these resources can be found in my (most popular!) post.

You'll find more quirky details about me scattered throughout my blog. Some highlights include my plea for 2012, reading list and, if anyone ever needs any ideas, my ideal mood music, which was written over a lifetime ago, so be warned.